gpp (conditional compilation)

[maxwell]

I'm trying to use the gpp utility (Gnu points to http://en.nothingisreal.com/wiki/GPP)
to do conditional compilation in Python, and I'm running into a
problem: the same '#' character introduces Python comments and is used
by default to introduce #ifdef etc. lines.

Here's an example of what I'm trying to do:

#ifdef DEBUG
stderr.write("variable is...") #details of msg omitted
#endif

I'm using the following args to gpp:
+s \" \" \" +s \' \' \' +c \\\# \\n -n
The result is that the #ifdef and #endif lines get treated as
comments, rather than instructions to gpp to keep or omit the lines in
between.

I tried just omitting the +c arg, but then I get msgs at the end of
each file saying
Input ended while scanning a comment/string
apparently because I use apostrophes inside comments, and gpp thinks
those are unterminated strings.

I can think of some work-arounds, like "don't use apostrophes inside
comments", or "don't use single-quoted strings (or define them for
gpp)" or "use a different char for the first char of a gpp macro".
But I'd rather not...

Does anyone have a set of gpp args that plays well with Python? (Or
makefiles, where I presume the same problem comes up.)

Mike Maxwell
CASL/ U MD

[Duncan Booth]

"ma*****@ldc.upenn.edu" <ma*****@umiacs.umd.eduwrote:

I'm trying to use the gpp utility (Gnu points to
http://en.nothingisreal.com/wiki/GPP) to do conditional compilation in
Python, and I'm running into a problem: the same '#' character
introduces Python comments and is used by default to introduce #ifdef
etc. lines.

Here's an example of what I'm trying to do:

#ifdef DEBUG
stderr.write("variable is...") #details of msg omitted
#endif

Why do you want conditional compilation. Is there anything wrong with:

if __debug__:
stderr.write("variable is...") #details of msg omitted

If you run Python with the -O command line option the code protected by the
if statement will be optimised out.

For most other purposes where you might use conditional compilation just
adding 'if' statements to execute at runtime (or try/except) will do the
same purpose:

if sys.platform=='win32':
def foo():
... something ...
else:
def foo():
.... something different ...

[John Nagle]

ma*****@ldc.upenn.edu wrote:

I'm trying to use the gpp utility (Gnu points to http://en.nothingisreal.com/wiki/GPP)
to do conditional compilation in Python, and I'm running into a
problem: the same '#' character introduces Python comments and is used
by default to introduce #ifdef etc. lines.

Just use an "if" statement. The Python interpreter is so slow
it won't matter.

John Nagle

[dustin]

On Wed, May 02, 2007 at 10:37:40AM -0700, ma*****@ldc.upenn.edu wrote:

I'm trying to use the gpp utility (Gnu points to http://en.nothingisreal.com/wiki/GPP)
to do conditional compilation in Python, and I'm running into a
problem: the same '#' character introduces Python comments and is used
by default to introduce #ifdef etc. lines.

The hacks you'll need to wrap gpp in to get it to work will make your
head spin.

I'm not sure what brought you to gpp, but if you're looking for a basic
macro-processing language suitable for the kinds of tasks the C
preprocessor performs, I would recommend M4. GNU has an implementation
of the language, and it's actually quite widely used as the basis for
the GNU autotools suite. It is incredibly flexible (enough so that its
learning curve is a bit steep, but not too bad), but that flexibility
enables it to work with just about any underlying language.

Dustin

[maxwell]

(replying to myself because I got four good replies)

Wow! That was fast! OK, I'll try out these ideas, and many thanks!

Mike Maxwell

[Cameron Laird]

In article <Xn*************************@127.0.0.1>,
Duncan Booth <du**********@suttoncourtenay.org.ukwrote:

>"ma*****@ldc.upenn.edu" <ma*****@umiacs.umd.eduwrote:

>I'm trying to use the gpp utility (Gnu points to
http://en.nothingisreal.com/wiki/GPP) to do conditional compilation in
Python, and I'm running into a problem: the same '#' character
introduces Python comments and is used by default to introduce #ifdef
etc. lines.

Here's an example of what I'm trying to do:

#ifdef DEBUG
stderr.write("variable is...") #details of msg omitted
#endif

Why do you want conditional compilation. Is there anything wrong with:

if __debug__:
stderr.write("variable is...") #details of msg omitted

If you run Python with the -O command line option the code protected by the
if statement will be optimised out.

For most other purposes where you might use conditional compilation just
adding 'if' statements to execute at runtime (or try/except) will do the
same purpose:

if sys.platform=='win32':
def foo():
... something ...
else:
def foo():
.... something different ...

I want to reinforce this. Yes, it is possible to pre-process Python
source, it's even been done before, and I'm sympathetic to the
suggestion that m4's more appropriate than gpp.

However, Duncan and others who've followed up are right: you can
live without this stuff. In fact, those who think they need condi-
tional compilation with Python are, with very few exceptions, simply
mistaken. The urge to transform Python source this way almost always
is a symptom of unfamiliarity with Python potential and good style.

It's not just that Python can do without conditional compilation;
Python offers *better* means to achieve the same goals.

[Gabriel Genellina]

En Wed, 02 May 2007 14:37:40 -0300, ma*****@ldc.upenn.edu
<ma*****@umiacs.umd.eduescribió:

I'm trying to use the gpp utility (Gnu points to
http://en.nothingisreal.com/wiki/GPP)
to do conditional compilation in Python, and I'm running into a
problem: the same '#' character introduces Python comments and is used
by default to introduce #ifdef etc. lines.

Here's an example of what I'm trying to do:

#ifdef DEBUG
stderr.write("variable is...") #details of msg omitted
#endif

In addition to all previous comments, I just want to menction the
existence of Tools/Scripts/ifdef.py, included in every Python install; it
can process #if #ifdef #else etc.

--
Gabriel Genellina